


Hold Me Down

by southsidebughead



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, F/F, F/M, Fluff, I can't tag for shit, Jughead Jones is Not Asexual, M/M, Minor Character Death, My First Work in This Fandom, Non-Explicit Sex, POV Multiple, Serpent!Jughead, Swearing, Verbal Abuse, aftermath of season 1, asshole!archie, bit occ, bughead - Freeform, bughead relationship, dark!betty, please message me if there's any warning you're afraid I might not have tagged
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-13
Updated: 2017-07-27
Packaged: 2018-12-01 20:45:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11494425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/southsidebughead/pseuds/southsidebughead
Summary: After Fred Andrews was shot at Pop's Diner, Riverdale suddenly became even darker than before, just when no one thought it could be possible. What could happen after the town's innocence is being put to the test, yet again?(A slightly-AU story about what could have happened after the season 1 finale. Bughead, Betty and Jughead centric but follows the whole town.)((Will be adding more tags.))





	1. Things out of my control

**Author's Note:**

> I have some important first notes:  
> 1\. I'm absolutely terrified, this is the first work I've ever published, and I'm doing so on a whim, before I chicken out so, please, be kind.  
> 2\. Some characters might be a bit OOC, but that's just how I've decided to do it.  
> 3\. Yet another season 2 prediction (If you can call this that.) I've had this written for a couple of months, started it when the season ended, but was too afraid to post it up until now, oops.  
> 4\. English is not my first language, so excuse any mistakes I might have made, this is un-betad.  
> I think that might be it, for now. Please, do comment if you enjoyed the first chapter, even if to tell me it sucks, I live for feedback, regardless of how scared I am of it. This is fairly short, the following chapters' lengths may vary, as I usually just write up until it makes sense and make the cut there.

Everything in Riverdale was wonderful, truly wonderful. It really was. It wasn't hard, though; after murder, adultery and so on, anything close to normality seemed extraordinary.

Fred had been shot and almost died in the arms of his only son, lying on the diner's floor, but at least he was breathing, with the help of machines, but his lungs were working and his chest was moving and that was enough to keep Archie living as well. Living a life full of anger, however, as his only goal, at that moment, was to discover who harmed his father and handle it the only way the boy knew how to handle anything, by slamming them against a wall, has he had once put it, not as much, lately, as he hadn't been saying a lot at all. Archie had been keeping mostly to himself, even in the company of his (now) two friends, who insisted that he should be around people after the tragic event. He obliged, but kept his mouth shut as Betty and Veronica conjured a thousand and one topics to keep the conversation flowing at all times, the first girl in an attempt to feel like her whole life wasn't slipping away from her, through her fingers, like she had _at least some_ control over _anything at all_ , and Ronnie to stop herself from believing that she could actually be losing the ginger she had grown so fond of in the months she had been at Riverdale, and that it could, in truth, be her own fault. Of course, she thought it had been her father who had pulled the trigger, and she was terrified that everyone else was thinking the same thing, it was such an obvious thought. She had automatically assumed that he had something to do with Jason's murder, as well, and was proven wrong, but the feeling of certainty that she had, both then and now, was so overwhelming, like she could actually see Hiram doing whatever bad thing had happened recently. Veronica couldn't understand why that was; her life with him had been nothing but absolutely wonderful until the fatidic day in which he had been taken away, but after that, and most recently, the girl could not help but to associate him with any and every illegal activity, despite her friends’ efforts to convince her otherwise. They felt like her slightly narcissistic tendencies to just assume everything was somehow related to her or her family were getting a bit old now and, because of that, Veronica tried to avoid mentioning anything about it, at all - one of the reasons why neither Betty nor Archie knew her dad was only a few days away from getting out of jail - but she still had those feelings that took over her head sometimes, tightening her throat and blurring her vision with tears on their way there.

Not a single thing was perfect, but nothing was as bad as it had been. Life in Riverdale was good; time stood completely still, because no one was brave enough to move even remotely, afraid the castle of cards would suddenly fall, once again. The cards were glued and stapled together, everything was secured tightly by the crushing need to _just be okay_. They had to be okay, after such tremendous stress with so little visible damage, really, they had to be. The town had its peace back, despite the accident that happened in the aftermath of the big revelation, everything was the same as before and life was supposed to go on.

But then it changed, so suddenly, in the worst of ways. It was a regular morning, except for the fact that Betty hadn't woken up yet, as she usually did. Every single day, since the tender age of six, she got up at 5am, three hours before the first class, so that she could quickly get ready and begin revising for whatever lesson she had that day, or re write some notes from the day before, as the annotations she took in class were often very messy. This habit of hers, in the light of recent events, was becoming harder to follow, and her alarm was now frequently snoozed until she felt like actually getting up, which was progressively later and later. It had then gotten to the point where it was 9am, she was still asleep, and everyone was in school, some wondering where Elizabeth Cooper could be, especially Archie, who was felling strange by the lack of buzzing around him, from the usual constant conversations, and Veronica, who was struggling to be alone around her very own boyfriend.

Polly never had the habit of going to Riverdale High with her sister. Their very contrasting schedules and even more incompatible social lives caused that. In that sense, it was normal that she didn't realize Betty wasn't even at school, when she started screaming for her, begging the colleagues that were desperately (and without a clue) trying to aid her, as the girl leaned against the lockers and slid down to the cold floor, moaning in pain. The first familiar face she saw was Ronnie's, who, when hearing the slightest of sounds, coming from the hall, took it as her golden opportunity to escape the mortifying silence that had her and Archie hostages. She was terrified, though, her best friend's sister was in a terrible state, and was now channeling her hopes into Veronica, who was most likely even more at a loss than the boy, who she knew was a freshman, that was holding Polly by the arm, with the most perplexed look on his face, or the girl who was fanning her with a notebook and had the expression of someone who was _never_ going to have kids in her life.

As soon as Veronica was within her weak grasp, the pregnant girl grabbed her and pulled down, as hard as she could, and urged her to find her sister and _call a goddamned ambulance right now._

Ronnie did as she was told, shaking desperately, as Archie had what was a somewhat affectionate behavior, and put his hand on her shoulder, though she had no time to even process it. After making the call, she went on to comfort Polly, without any idea of what was, in fact, happening, or what she was doing. Veronica never had any contact with pregnancies before, and she didn't know a lot about them, so she couldn't tell if what Betty's sister was feeling was expected, if it was good or bad. It did sound absolutely dreadful.

When the paramedics got there, she was dragged along with Polly to the ambulance, her boyfriend being left behind, with the now usual blank expression on his face, maybe, this time, with a slight tug of his brows, translating his concern. Time flew by and soon she was sitting in the waiting room, staring straight ahead, almost frozen as everything around her seemed to be going faster than it was supposed to. Veronica did actually enjoy the numbness, as it was something she had lacked recently; everything was big, everything was overwhelming, but the enormity of the recent events had managed to somehow calm her down and she was relishing every second of it that went by.

She was brought back to reality when her phone buzzed in her purse, unfortunately; some random notification that was, at the time, too irrelevant, threw her back into the familiar shark tank in her own mind. Her awakening did remind her that she had completely forgotten to warn any of the Coopers, something the school might have had already done, or even the hospital, but Veronica was suddenly aware of how bad it would look that she hadn't even bothered to call, and that family already disliked her too much. Additionally, she was then becoming gradually more concerned with Betty, from whom she had yet to hear any news. As she waited for her friend to pick up, her eyes scurried the hospital, realizing that she didn't actually know how long she had just sat there, without any news, which she hoped didn't mean bad news. Once again, her lack of knowledge about childbirth left her without a clue.

Betty didn't answer the phone, so she gave it another try, deciding that, if it came down to it, she would call Alice Cooper, but she absolutely did not want to. She continued to scan the room and noticed as a nurse seemed to walk in her direction, hopefully bringing some information. As the young lady barely started saying her name, a groggy voice on the other side of the line picked up. The look of confusion on Veronica's face was most likely obvious, as she wondered if Betty was sick at home and Polly hadn't managed to tell her that. She asked her best friend to wait a couple of seconds, deciding it would be for the best if she could explain what was happening if she had some good news to follow it, like maybe the fact that Betty was already an aunt. Ronnie clicked the microphone button on her phone, and just slid it in her pocket, while turning to give the nurse full attention.

She thought she'd hear something technical about how the twins were delivered, or maybe some explanation for the seemingly unbearable pain Polly was experiencing, or even perhaps how those were actually only contractions (something Veronica knew about), and the worst of it was yet to come, when the real part of the childbirth began, followed by a chuckle of the nurse in front of her. That wasn't what she was told, however; she got the always unexpected and deplorably cliché: _there were some complications_ , followed by the request for the name of the poor young girl, which no one had actually gotten yet, and the contact of any family member.

Veronica, reacquiring that desired numbness from a few moments before, wasn't at all frozen in place and hurried to grab the phone. The concern overtook her as she simply ordered Betty to grab her parents and get to the hospital as soon as possible. After, she let herself fall into the shock from the news, and returned to her sitting position.


	2. Oh, what I'd do not to worry like you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter!! Also considerably short.  
> I got 10 kudos on my first one, so I was beyond excited, thanks to everyone who left one!!   
> Please, leave a comment if you wish to do so.

The white walls at most health care facilities usually worked as a source of tranquility, something to lift the spirits of the passersby. The professionals rushing from room to room, the crying from the ones who had gotten the worst news and the stinking smell of rubbing alcohol, among other things, were antagonized by the boosting color that transmitted but wholesomeness and hope.

Elizabeth felt blinded by it. It resembled the blindness she felt when the more hidden side of her turned up, when her anger was too big to contain and she could only cut it away, as she was doing then. Hal Cooper was oblivious to her actions, despite the fact that he was holding his younger daughter by the arm, hooking his own through hers and sliding them along the lengthy hallways. They were alone because Betty's mother hadn't been at the house, and was coming from the opposite side of town, but the three of them had yet to be informed about what had actually happened that eventful morning. Veronica didn't really know anything, to begin with, but she knew something was wrong, she knew Polly wasn't just in labor, but she couldn't even begin to elaborate on what was going on, and she felt she had no right to. Hence why she hung up the call right after and proceeded to turn off her phone.

When Hal and his daughter managed to find whoever knew anything about their loved one, hurrying to identify themselves, Betty managed to notice her friend was nowhere to be found, right before the news were delivered to them, and she was unable operate at all, from then on. The whiteness of the environment surrounding her was conquered by the one that blinded her, as the force she was applying to her palms was not enough to overthrow the pain she was feeling inside her chest.

Her father adopted a protective posture, struggling to keep poise as his own world crumbled around him, and grabbed Betty, encasing her in his arms and begging her to stay calm, still unaware of her coiling fists.

Veronica, on the other side of the hospital, was starting to get a hold of her breath, after breaking down in one of the small bathrooms she managed to find before falling to her knees. Her usual issues with how unsanitary public spaces were disappeared from her thoughts, as the girl who often used a tissue to grab a door's handle was now lying on the tilled floor.

She felt absolutely horrible for leaving the waiting space, where her best friend was probably at that exact moment receiving the news, to go hide in that small area to cry, unable to steady her breathing. It wasn't her family, it wasn't even an actual close friend of hers, and even though it was Betty's sister, she had no right to be acting like she was. Ronnie was certain she had to step up and be the rock a friend was supposed to be in moments like those, but she simply couldn't, at least not right that moment. In her current state, she’d be a burden.

The girl couldn't tell what time it was when she got out of the cubicle, as she had no watch on, that day, and her phone was off, so Veronica had no idea how much of a despicable friend she had been, as she slowly approached the extremely fragile looking blonde. Apologizing profusely, she kneeled in front of Betty, taking ahold of her hands vigorously, as to call her back to reality. It did not work, since her eyes never unbolted from the chair directly before her, that she had been fixated on since they sat down and Hal had lightly let go of his daughter.

Yet, Veronica kept trying to get Betty's attention, deciding that helping in any way she could would be the sole way of rectifying her absence. As this went on, Ronnie was still unable to keep track of time passing by, but she most certainly felt it. She sensed the darkness gathering bellow her eyes, reflecting the same dimness under Betty's, and the soreness on her muscles.

Abruptly, Betty's hands liberated themselves from Veronica's tight grasp and flew to her abandoned purse, that sat flatly two chairs away. Struggling with her visual acuity, she tapped blindly at her phone's screen, looking agitated as she did so. Tears gather at the rims of her eyes as quickly as they spilled, and Betty was suddenly shaking gravely. Veronica was then wishing that spiritual comatose her friend had just been in hadn't been broken, so that the teen wasn't in such distress. The brunette bombarded her with resolutions to whatever it was Betty needed, wondering if she wanted to call someone. She offered to call Archie, whose whereabouts she knew nothing of, or Alice, or-

And then Betty leaned forward, dropping her sore hands against her best friend, weakly shoving her phone in Ronnie's hands, telling her to simply get her boyfriend down there. Once again, Veronica made the call and kept it as succinct as before.

Letting go of the device, she had only time to open her arms further, so that Betty could break down in them. Her trembling only got worse and Ronnie could feel her blouse getting wetter at an alarming rate.

Hal then showed up around the corner, looking as disheveled as expected, the periphery of his own eyes looking red. His mouth made a straight line as he kneeled next to his daughter, draping an arm over her shoulder and sighing. He made the effort to try to retrieve her from the floor, making her sit down again. Veronica followed the movement to maintain hers and Betty's embrace, missing her seat by an inch but easily regaining her composure.

The three of them sat rather quietly; despite Betty's sobs, everything around them seemed to move three times as fast as they ever could and so it was loud enough to cover any noise that came from them.

At 9:12pm - Veronica was then aware of the time, since she was still holding onto the blonde girl's phone - the doors to the waiting room swung and through came their red headed friend, stern looking as ever, that same brow draw. His discomfort at the place, regardless of his efforts to conceal it from his best friend, as he sent Betty’s way the most apologetic look he could muster, was clear as day; his father wasn't there, because that hospital in particular did not have the proper ICU conditions to give Fred the care he needed, so he was moved to one farther away, leaving Archie with the extra burden of the daily commute there. Nevertheless, the same walls that seemed to scream at Elizabeth were also deeply straining for him, an ever-present reminder that that same environment enclosed his vulnerable father and there was nothing he could do to make it stop, the same as when that bullet pierced through the man's skin, while Archie stared helplessly.

Since the breakdown some minutes before, Betty had somehow quieted down, returning to a semi-trance state, while her head rested on Ronnie's shoulder and Hal held her limp hand.

When there was yet another fluctuation of the doors, Betty's head jerked up, away from her friend, upon recognizing who it was. She let out a deep sight, and her eyes seemed gather some more tears, as she stared desperately at the boy who rushed to her side, like perhaps she hoped he could make things right again, as he so often did.

Betty was aware he couldn't, though; she knew. He got down in front of her, as Ronnie had done before, putting his hand on her knees, as hers moved to grab the leather that composed the jacket he was still wearing, which didn't go unnoticed, despite everything else they had going on.

She squinted as a futile attempted to keep the tears from completely blocking her vision, and held onto Jughead more firmly, moving her hands to their usual place around his neck, cupping his face, her fingers tugging at the ends of his beanie. She whispered his name in such a low voice, that she barely heard it herself, and they stayed engulfed in their own moment for a while, never completely separated from the daunting reality that surrounded them all.

No matter how good she felt around him, and despite feeling a bit safer then, the wound inside her stung all the same, so deeply it was unbearable. Nothing could heal any of their hearts. Jughead only made it better in the sense that both teens had gotten used to sharing their troubles with one another, and going through something like what Betty was going through without the other made them feel even smaller.

Silence hung over the group, haunting the atmosphere, until it was broken by the person least expected. As Veronica eyed Betty and Jughead, somehow a little more content, considering the circumstances, that her friend seemed at least slightly more alive, Archie directed the attention to himself as he emphasized his perplexity about what was, in his mind, the elephant in the room, "Jughead, what the fuck?"

 


	3. Well, I think we better go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Third chapter!! I'm really doing this!  
> Thank you so much if you're reading this story, really means a lot. Please leave a comment, it would mean a lot to me and would really give me some much need motivation.  
> This chapter is a loooooot longer, almost two times bigger than the last one, which just proves how consistent I am.  
> The tittle of the chapter is from a The 1975 song.

The tension you feel in the air at any hospital is always palpable, rising above the usual levels at any other place, but no matter how high they are, they can always go higher. And they did; the bubble created as the terrible news hit the Cooper family was unexpectedly popped as the spotlight shifted and was now hitting Archie Andrews, who seemed to have a voice, after weeks of giving every living being the silent treatment. The fact that he was so perplexed, so shocked by what he saw, that he needed to draw attention to it and inquire his friend in front of everyone, at such a time, was distressing, especially to Veronica, who stared wide eyed at the bubbling spectacle in front of her. Betty's expression mimicked the girl next to her, and she automatically switched to defense mode but, before she could speak, the two boys in front of her cut her off.

"Archie, this is not the time", Jughead begged weakly, translating the thoughts of everyone around him, even Hal, who wanted to understand what were the implications of the Serpents attached to the boy's back, especially concerning his daughter, but physically couldn't get to that at that very moment. He was well aware of Alice's past, and he also knew Jughead and who his father was, so the facts that presented themselves came as no surprise, regardless of their importance.

The other boy didn't even seem to consider the request, his attitude had changed too, and he was blinded and ready to attack. The unbelievable trauma Archie had gone through recently had transformed him; he wasn't the same person, it was clear, and Jughead knew that and deep down could understand his reaction. He hadn't meant to bring the jacket, but when Veronica called he couldn't think about anything else besides _getting to that hospital fast_ , not wasting a single moment to consider his attire and the implications it could have.

The moment seemed too familiar, as their minds went back to Polly's baby shower, a much simpler time. Archie had, all the same, diverted the focus to his thoughts, that were very similar to the ones he was having right then. The nature of the problem was always the same and that was a very bitter conclusion he reached with a visible grimace. Archie felt sick at the realization that the issue always seemed to be the same, no matter how hard he fought the thought, and his mind drifted alongside his growing anger to a morbid place, where he considered just how much their life was enveloped by the Serpents, even without their knowledge. He wondered how much his own life and its recent events were implicated in that downward spiral, and how much his best friend was involved in.

The sudden pain he felt deep in his chest made him take a step forward and Jughead took and instinctive step back. He ended up slightly bumping into Betty's knee, which served as a cue for Veronica to stand up and for the blonde to hold her boyfriend's hand firmly. Obviously, this came across as taking a stance, which Archie took very seriously.

Ronnie felt a slight shiver, and she noted how they stood so clearly against each other, on opposites sides. She couldn't help but to think about how unnecessary it all was, especially at such a time, to be creating a wedge between them when everything was already falling apart so quickly. She didn't want to go against Archie; he needed her, she didn't need him to talk to her at all to know that, but Veronica couldn't stand for something like what he was doing, despite what he was going through, so, biting her lip to keep herself from giving away what she was feeling, Ronnie kept still as she glanced at her red headed boy.

He simply shook his head. "Nothing justifies _that_ , nothing. I never knew you at all, Jughead." And with that he left the room, not looking at Veronica or even Betty one last time, before turning around and storming off. The mess managed to distract the blonde girl from her very own nightmare for a few moments, but as Archie disappeared, it all came right back and everything seemed even worse. She squeezed Jughead's hand a little tighter, which brought his attention back to their surroundings. After the scene she had just witnessed, Veronica decided to slide over to the seat next to her, giving the boy some space to sit next to his girlfriend, who clearly needed his comfort. She also figured some space would make it easier for her to flee the room when the pressure in her chest became too unbearable. Ronnie felt entirely alone and completely guilty for even thinking about her own feelings at that moment, as the sweet blonde they all cherished so deeply pulled desperately at the lapel of the infamous leather jacket, as what seemed like an attempt to shield herself from the terrible world around them, pressing her face against Jughead's chest, while he wrapped his arms around her, powerless.

Veronica did have to scoot right back to her previous spot, only a couple of minutes later, when Hal threw his keys at Jughead, advising him to go to their car and leave the jacket there. Everyone, including the boy, had noticed the stares they were seldom getting, mostly from the hospital staff, some looking a bit alarmed when confronted with the Serpents’ logo. Agreeing, he quickly left the waiting room, with a firm kiss to Betty's temple, already removing the piece of clothing that ended up causing such trouble. He really wished he had remembered to take it off, especially because that would mean Archie would still be there with them, being his usual apathic self, but present, at least. When Veronica simply ordered him to get to them, though, nothing else, besides doing just that, occupied his mind. If it meant he could get there faster, he would bring the whole gang with them. The short time he wasted running to and from the parking lot was already hard enough; if Betty needed him, he had to be there.

While he was gone, and because she couldn't help being at least slightly shocked, even if not as much as Archie, Ronnie had to ask Betty if she already knew, to which she got a simple nod. Not sure if that made her more or less confused, the girl risked another question, "So, he's filling his father's spot?"

Betty sighed, "We're not our parents."

Veronica nodded in understanding, even though she didn't _really_ understand. She would never comprehend the true meaning behind those words, the ones Jughead had given Betty long ago, and to which she still grasped onto so tightly, whenever things at her house seemed to be falling apart, yet again. He had uttered those words so long ago, at a very desperate time - that was actually so simple compared to the absolute mess her life was at that moment - but they still held so much meaning to her.

As he walked back to them, wearing just a t-shirt, looking so small, she knew those words were still true. He wasn't his father, she wasn't her sister, or even her mother; they weren't their families. No matter how involved Jughead was with the Serpents, he would never be his father, he would never go down that road, and Betty knew how much it pained him that FP had followed that path in the first place. She was there when he visited his dad, sometimes she went inside to greet the man, other times she just sat in the car waiting for her boy to come back, and every time she could see the suffering in him. There were days when the darkness got so big that all they did until nightfall was crash in Betty's bed; she would hold him and run her fingers through his hair until he either cried - quietly, too self-conscious to make too much noise - or fell asleep, wishing she could simply take his pain away.

His involvement with the gang had nothing to do with the schemes the Serpents were part of sometimes. They kept their kids away from that, they protected their families, and Betty was so happy that Jughead had a family after each and every member of his own left him, one at the time. She was there for him and did everything she could to keep him on his feet, as he did for her, but Betty knew she couldn't do everything, and the Serpents were always there to help her take care of the boy.

She had actually met most of them; the first time she had contact with some of them being at The White Wyrm, one time when she needed to find Jughead and knew she would find him there. She had never gone there before and had no idea what to expect. She refrained from using too many bright colors, which was hard considering her wardrobe, but she pulled it off. She wasn't scared or afraid she'd be judged, but she didn't want all the attention suddenly turning to her, as she shyly stepped through the bar.

Betty had texted Jughead a couple of minutes before getting there, announcing her arrival, leaving him a bit perplexed at her decision and also dreadful of her reaction.

She paced awkwardly around the room, keeping a neutral face expression as she looked around for her boyfriend. Suddenly, she felt a hand holding onto hers, and couldn't help jumping slightly before turning around and concluding it was Jughead. Right upon seeing his face, she gave him a soft smile as he quickly pulled her back to the room he had been in.

"Betty, what are you doing here?" he tried to be serious but he couldn't help the grin on his face, complementing the look of pure adoration he had on. He always felt so overjoyed when he saw her because he could only associate every aspect of her with the utmost joy and authenticity. Elizabeth made him feel so real.

She grinned back at him and explained that she needed to see him, but didn't mind waiting where she was, as she didn't want to bother them.

It seemed everyone else wasn't able to keep from smiling in the presence of the lovely girl either; the three other people in the room stared at the couple for a while before the woman spoke, introducing everyone to Betty. It was then clarified to her that they were just talking about Jughead's adaptation to his new school and about his life in general, which Betty was a part of, so it made sense that she'd be there too. Apparently, they were friends of Jughead's foster family and wanted to make sure their boy was okay there.

Betty was so happy there were other people helping him that she couldn't control the huge smile on her face. She later found out that all the other Serpents were also determined to make sure Jughead was all right, and they really did mean it when they said they had his back while his father was away. She knew then that he had a family and, for her, it didn't matter what everyone else thought about them.

When Jughead sat back down, Veronica took it as her chance to excuse herself for a bit, Betty's words echoing in her head. Even though they didn't carry the same weight for her as they did for her friend, the truth in them was capable of making her thoughts go a thousand miles per hour, as she realized just how much she _wasn't_ like her father, she was the opposite of him. All her life she had been so close to him because they were one and the same and, even after his arrest, she stood by him, she defended him. She couldn't do that anymore though; she might not go against him, but she would not fight for him.

Her vision got blurry again and her stomach took a sharp turn, so Ronnie decided to go back to the bathroom, in order to shield herself from any concerned stares. She didn't want people to offer help, she didn't need any; there was nothing anyone could do for her.

As the door clicked shut behind her, the girl had only the time to rush to the toilet, kneel in front of it and throw up. For a couple of seconds after, she did feel better, but the nausea didn't subside; she dragged herself to the sink to splattered some cold water on her face.

She felt like lying down and sleeping for a very long time. Her body was so sore and her head was pounding. The thought of leaving Betty, though, was inconceivable. By then, surely Alice had already gotten there, and soon they would be able to see Polly, which was something they should do privately, within their family, so Veronica wouldn't be needed, most likely, but still, she could not just leave. She decided she should, at least, tell them something before going and, maybe, the walk back to the waiting room would make her feel a bit better.

Upon her arrival, however, Veronica was met with empty chairs. Besides her, there was only another woman there, all by herself. Ronnie sighed; was she supposed to wait there for them? She still did not want to simply leave, considering she had already done enough harm to other people in her life, and she had already let a lot of people down before, one of those being Betty.

The turmoil in her stomach, that somehow tightened her throat, and the buzzing in her hears, on the other hand, made it seemed like it would be completely impossible for her to stay there any longer. Veronica's body forced her to go home. She turned around on her heel and headed for the door, which she was about to open before Jughead called her.

He looked confused, perhaps because he assumed she would stay there with them, but he also had a sympathetic look on his face, which meant he most likely understood that she was tired, even though he had absolutely no idea just how sick Veronica was feeling. At that point, she assumed that Polly's case had been rougher on her that she had expected or even realized, because no evil parent alone could, in any way, have that effect on people.

Ronnie explained how tired she was feeling, begging him to tell Betty that she would get back to her as soon as she could and that she would have her phone on all night, so she should call if they needed anything. They boy nodded and she gave him a small smile as she started to turn around again.

"Are you okay, Ronnie?" he inquired quietly, furrowing his brows. She felt even worse with his question, thinking about how she couldn't even pretend to be okay for a single day, the one day where she needed to just be there for Betty and not make things about herself. She was truly awful.

She forced the biggest smile possible, keeping it slightly tamed, due to the circumstances, and said she was just fine. Jughead knew, by then, that it had been her who helped Polly at the school and rode with her in the ambulance, so he was aware of how turbulent her day had been as well. Wary, nonetheless, he seemed to accept her answer and so, Veronica made her way out of the room and out of the hospital, wishing she would never need go back there again.


	4. You always thought there was a change ahead.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happened to Polly and her babies is finally revealed, woOP!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yet another small chapter! If anyone's reading, hope you enjoy, and please leave a comment :)

Alice Cooper arrived at the waiting room of the ICU at precisely 10:02pm, looking as disheveled as no one had ever seen her before. Streaks of mascara had been rubbed off from under her eyes, which were red and still watery. Her usually curled and clipped back hair was in a very tight ponytail, that resembled her daughter's daily hairstyle, and her clothes looked wrinkled. She immediately began bombarding them with questions about her daughter, which Jughead answered because Betty was simply feeling too weak and Hal was asleep. Betty's mother was informed that they still couldn't see Polly, but the doctors assumed it would be very soon; that information left her even more stressed, because she _needed_ to see her daughter. After hours of driving, in complete panic, to get there, her agony was combined with deep exhaustion and exasperation, which made everything that much harder.

Even though the hospital's staff said they'd be able to see Betty's sister soon, they were only granted that permission an hour after Alice got there. Of course, the woman's irritation only got worse by the minute.

The nurse that went to inform them they could go see Polly emphasized how important it was to keep the number of visitors to the very minimum, and so the room was restricted to family members. Betty said that she couldn't possibly go there without Jughead by her side, and started begging for them to make an exception. The boy knew that wouldn't happened, but despite his best efforts to calm down his girlfriend and make her see it was for her sister's own good, she wouldn't agree with going alone. Ultimately, they managed to make an arrangement, in which he would accompany them to the room but not go inside. It wasn't perfect, but Betty abided.

She almost thought they had gotten into the wrong room and felt the urge to turn around and leave. The girl lying down in front of her didn't appear to be her sister; she figured she didn't look too much like herself either, but Polly's body seemed completely soulless. She was propped up on a couple of pillows, staring straight ahead, right through Betty.

While her parents stood still at the entrance, Elizabeth decided she had to get closer to her sister, especially since she was already there anyway. Carefully, she took a couple steps forward and slid her hand under Polly's limp one. The gesture seemed to steer something inside the fragile girl, and her eyes drifted slightly to stare into her sister's. Tears assembled quickly behind her eyes while she pressed her lips firmly together.

"S-Samuel..." Polly let out weakly. Betty gripped her hand tighter as an attempted to show her sister she was there with her, she was there to help her through it. "My boy, my-" she continued, her tone getting slightly more audible and her tears beginning to fall. She became progressively more and more aware of the harsh reality that was now hers and got visibly more upset. Betty's efforts to calm her down didn't have much success. She didn't feel like there was any way she could ever move on, not without her baby. Her life would never make sense again. The world had taken Jason from her, and now it took away her baby boy as well.

Behind them, their parents came a bit nearer, and Alice made her way over to the small baby that slept soundly at her daughter's right side. With tears in her eyes, she delicately picked up her granddaughter and moved closer to the hospital bed. "Polly" she called firmly, breathing in.  "Riley needs you, she needs you now."

Polly looked desperately at her mother, who used all the strength she had in herself not to break. Nodding, she took the small child in her arms, glancing at her barely noticeable strawberry blonde hair.

There was a small knock on the door, interrupting their moment; the nurse wanted to confirm if a girl by the name of Cheryl Blossom was really the baby's aunt, as she was just outside, in the waiting room, desperate to come in. Polly corroborated the story and the nurse went off to get the girl.

Cheryl's appearance was even more shocking that Alice's had been. It seemed she had only been alerted much later then everyone else, when she was already at home and, so, she had just the time to put on a very casual outfit that no one would ever guess Cheryl could even own. The unfamiliar picture was complete with the sight of her strong red hair all gathered in a bun at the top of her head and a makeup-less face.

She hurriedly joined the Cooper family by the bed, more tears streaming down her cheeks. Her impeccably manicured hands trembled as she reached for the baby's tiny head. She held her breath as she stroked it lightly, the little girl still asleep.

While they all simply stared at the baby in complete awe, Alice informed Polly that the two of them would be able to go home in two days, if everything was stable, and that she would stay there with her the whole time to help her through it. Cheryl wanted to stay there too, but Alice quickly explained to her that neither her nor Betty were going to do so. They needed to get some rest and too many people would only make things worse, anyway.

Hal Cooper said he would drive them both home and then come back to the hospital for a while longer. He encouraged the girls to say their goodbyes and grab their things so they could go. He didn't want to be gone for too long; he didn't want to leave his daughter at such a hard time and he most certainly didn't wish to leave his wife, considering the terrible circumstances that managed to resemble their very own past hardships. The couple was trying to get back on their feet and Hal didn't want their present misfortune to be the beginning of the end, yet again.

They left Cheryl at her house, which was then much closer to Betty and Archie's street. They had to move somewhere and ended up settling on that place, even though Penelope was reluctant to accept the fact that they were going to have to live in a normal house because there wasn't any other place like Thornhill in Riverdale.

She hadn't spoken a single word to her daughter since the meltdown she had when Cheryl burnt down their mansion. No one actually knew it had been her and so everyone assumed it had been just another inexplicable adversity in the Blossom family.

When they got to the Cooper Home, Betty asked her father if Jughead could stay over. Seeing the broken look on her face, Hal couldn't bring himself to say no. The man had never been a very strong figure in the family’s life, having had left the decisions and rules’ making to his wife, while he very rarely put his foot down, only if he absolutely had to. On the other hand, he wanted Betty to feel better and safe, and he knew Jughead could bring her that kind of calmness. After their day, he figured he could let that one slide, as long as Alice never found out.

After dropping off the two of them, he turned his car around and went back to his wife and eldest daughter.


	5. Getting back to myself takes time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 5!! This one is bughead centric, as is my life.   
> Shout out to the people who left comments, you have no idea how much it means to me that you took time out of your lives to leave me some feedback!

"I don't want Archie to turn on you" Jughead muttered, just as he closed the door to Betty's room behind his back, leaning against it. He closed his eyes and sighed, his mouth drawing a sharp straight line.

Betty turned around to stare at him in confusion; she couldn't tell if he actually thought Archie would stop talking to her after seeing her boyfriend in that Serpent jacket, because she didn't think her best friend would do something like that. Thinking about it, though, made her realize the boy had been doing a lot of things she wouldn't have had associated with him a while back. There was no choice in her mind, however; although Archie was indeed her best friend and she didn't want to have to drift away from him, she knew herself well enough to understand that, after their last year, she would never be able to go on without Jughead by her side. Elizabeth was nothing but a strong, independent woman, but that didn't mean she wanted to face the storm alone, especially if she could have her boy right by her side. She could survive without him, but her life wouldn’t be the same.

She paced slowly back to him, stopping when they were chest to chest, and reached out for his right hand, engulfing it in hers. "If it comes down to it" she whispered, recoiling slightly as her voice seemingly echoed in the empty, dark room. "it'll always be you."

Jughead's heart practically left his body as those soft words abandoned her lips. He knew she loved him and he was sure she was happy with him but, if there was something he was, and would probably always be, afraid of, it was coming in second place. There was a constant fear in his heart of being abandoned and replaced by someone better, worthier than him; someone like Archie. So, whenever Betty made him feel like that uncertainty didn't make any sense, erasing every doubt in his head, at least for the time being, Jughead felt like the happiest boy in the world. Finding her beautiful eyes in the darkness, he knew he actually was the happiest boy in the world, and most certainly the luckiest.

He cupped his wonderful girlfriend's cheek as he brought her into his chest, dropping a kiss to the top of her head. The gesture was enough to make her start crying again; no matter how much he hated seeing her cry, he knew it would be better if she let everything out.

"Baby, it's okay" he uttered, using an unusual nickname that they saved for situations like the one they were in. It conveyed the support she needed at the time.

He kept assuring her, unsure of the truth in his own words, as he walked them to Betty's bed. He was extremely skeptical about how his girlfriend and the Cooper family would be able to deal with the situation that had been presented to them. Their history of handling misfortunes hadn't been the best, so far, and he Betty suffered a lot due to her family’s tendency to hide their problems and put up a tough front instead of dealing with it; this wasn’t something they could pretend wasn’t there, however.

Her breathing seemed to calm down, once again, and she lifted her head from Jughead's lap. "My family's cursed... After what happened at the lake, Cheryl said hers was, but I guess, since we're the same family, after all, that makes us cursed by association" she said bitterly, her voice barely audible, so much that Jughead found himself leaning closer to her so he could catch it.

"You're not cursed" he guaranteed, his voice firm and a bit louder than hers, as a soft smile graced his features. "You're just going through a rough patch, Betty, I promise." He slightly shivered at his choice of words; despite his best attempts, there was no way he could promise her anything. He did wish he could control reality, and make it so that everything around her was nothing but perfect, nothing less than what she deserved.

Hugging him, she figured that, at least, what happened to Polly was something her parents couldn't ignore. There would be no phony smiles and stupid family breakfasts over which they could pretend to bond over, so sure that no one could see right through them. The thought made her feel better, nonetheless, there were a million others buzzing in her head, threatening to blow it up. She fought the urge to stab her fingernails into her palms in hopes of calming herself down, and instead turned to her boyfriend, kissing him deeply.

Jughead was caught by surprise, but quickly got over it and proceed to respond with the same urgency.

Betty swiftly moved from her sitting position next to him, alternatively kneeling on the end of her bed. That provided her with a better angle to hold the boy's face, pushing him back so he'd fall onto the bed and she could lay on top of him. She looked deeply into his beautiful, big blue eyes, with her tear-filled ones, "I need the world to stop, Juggie, I just needed everything to stop for a while."

Her plead was enough for him to turn them around and resume their kiss. She forced her way into his mouth as he ran his hands all the way from her chest to her thighs, making her head travelled a thousand miles per hour, sending most of her haunting thoughts to the back.

As Jughead's mouth made his way to her neck, the girl's hands went straight to his head, removing his beanie, so that she could run her fingers through his dark hair. His lips lingered on every bit of her skin, kissing and biting. All he wanted was to make Betty feel the way she made him feel; he wanted her to forget all her troubles, even if just for a moment, and he needed to be the one who could do that.

Eagerly, she moved her hands straight to his belt, but Jughead decided he needed her to wait longer, despite his clearly aroused state. He proceeded to take off her sweater, removing her hands from his waist.

Moving even further away from her grasp, he sat up so he could get rid of his own t-shirt, diving back in quickly to plant more hungry kisses over her almost bare chest. Betty let out a slow moan that sounded both like complaint for not letting her take off his jeans and a pleased approval for what he was currently doing. His right hand moved from her tight, softly going up to her shoulder, grazing her skin slightly on its way, which made Betty shiver. He intertwined his fingers with the thin strap of her blue bra, pulling it down.

No matter how slow he was trying to go, things were still going fast, and as Betty's back arched and her small hands grasped desperately onto the quilt on her bed, Jughead felt almost dizzy from how amazing it was to make her quiver like that just by kissing her body. As his mouth went lower and lower on her body, both his breathing and his girlfriend's were close to pants, and Jughead felt himself willingly drowning in his complete adoration for his girl. Opening his eyes and looking up at her, he knew he'd never be capable of living without her in his life.


End file.
